Ever wondered why it is the tighthead props who get the big money? There have been exceptions of course, Dan Carter for instance, but when the zeroes were being added to cheques it was Carl Hayman, first at Newcastle and now down at Toulon, who led the way for New Zealanders heading for the northern hemisphere. Put simply, it's their rarity.

Most Test tightheads are valuable, but a good one is near priceless. To understand the position, it is best to find an example and as Australia visit Twickenham this weekend what better subject. England and Australia – particularly the packs – have history. In 2003 England may have left Australia as world champions but there were a couple of English front rows who felt they had been unable to display their obvious dominance. Then at Twickenham in 2005 and at the World Cup quarter-finals at Marseilles two years later, Australia came close to falling apart. Andrew Sheridan, the loosehead got the plaudits but Phil Vickery deserved his share and Australia's front row began to get a reputation for being as tricky as a box of monkeys in devising ways to avoid further embarrassment. Now they are back at Twickenham, facing Dan Cole, who has spent the past couple of years developing into one of the better tightheads in the world.

So after Australia lost badly to France at the weekend and conceded a penalty try halfway through the second half, today looks like a no-brainer, right? Well no actually, because the Australian front row that confronts Cole, Tom Youngs and Joe Marler will not be the one that buckled in Paris. Back at tighthead prop is Ben Alexander and he will make a difference. It probably won't be enough to deny England overall dominance in the scrum and it shouldn't mean Stuart Lancaster's side will not win but it should make the scrum a contest.

In the past England have found some Australian front rows a handful, notably when Al Baxter was around and when Benn Robinson was paired with Alexander, but recent changes to the laws concerning the number of props on the replacements' bench have tended to tilt the issue in favour of countries with a tradition of enjoying the scrum. Ordaining a second on the bench means it is preferable if sides could find a second tighthead and that has favoured those with the resources such as South Africa, France and England and not teams such as Australia and Wales.

Look at last weekend and you'll see what I mean. In Paris, France were ahead a half-time, but only 13-6. The Australian tighthead, Sekope Kepu was having a tough time at the hands of the debutant Yannick Forestier but nowhere near as bad as when France went to the bench and brought on Benjamin Kayser, Thomas Domingo and Vincent Debaty, an entire Clermont Auvergne front-row, but in Debaty a 31-year-old tighthead with massive experience in the Top 14. Within four minutes Nigel Owens had awarded the penalty try.

In Cardiff, Wales, with our world-class tighthead, Adam Jones, injured, we had two loosehead props on the bench against Argentina and we found ourselves in trouble with the man who will be refereeing at Twickenham on Saturday, Romain Poite. I would not say Monsieur Poite was particularly kind to us but, like most French referees, he does like to think he understands the scrum and will, no doubt, be just as eagle eyed this weekend. All of which is not to say the scrum is everything. Australia probably have a better balanced side than the one that faced France, even if half a side is still in the sick bay. David Pocock is obviously a big loss but the return of Berrick Barnes adds to the savvy of a back line and Digby Ioane will break more tackles than most wings.

And I've been up against Australia too often to know that they are never down and out. During the summer they beat Wales three times – by one, two and eight points – and drew with New Zealand to come runners-up in the Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere version of our Six Nations.

And they can't stand being beaten by England home or away. In fact a win at Twickenham would go a long way to quietening those critics back home who can't stand a New Zealander, Robbie Deans, being in charge. But I sense that if England have an advantage it is their tighthead who will press it home.